What is the time difference between London and Tokyo?

Tokyo (JST, UTC+9) is 9 hours ahead of London in winter (GMT, UTC+0) and 8 hours ahead in summer (BST, UTC+1). Japan does not observe Daylight Saving Time, so the offset changes only when the UK shifts its clocks in spring and autumn.

Does Tokyo observe Daylight Saving Time?

No. Japan abolished DST in 1952 and has not used it since. Tokyo stays on JST (UTC+9) all year. Only London shifts its clocks, which is why the London-Tokyo gap alternates between 9 and 8 hours.

When does the offset change from 9 to 8 hours?

The UK moves clocks forward on the last Sunday in March at 01:00 GMT, entering BST (UTC+1). At that point Tokyo goes from 9 hours ahead to 8 hours ahead. The gap returns to 9 hours on the last Sunday in October at 02:00 BST when the UK reverts to GMT.

What are the best meeting times for London and Tokyo?

The overlap between standard business hours (09:00–18:00) is narrow. When London is at 09:00 GMT it is 18:00 in Tokyo — the very end of the Tokyo workday. A 08:00–09:00 London call is the most realistic option, catching Tokyo at 17:00–18:00 JST.

Is this tool accurate for scheduling?

Yes. It uses the IANA timezone database embedded in your browser — the same source used by operating systems and calendar apps worldwide. Accuracy depends on your device clock being synchronized via NTP, which most devices do automatically.

JST stands for Japan Standard Time. It is UTC+9, used across all of Japan year-round. There is no Japan Daylight Saving Time designation because Japan does not observe DST.

Time Difference: London to Tokyo

See the current time in London and Tokyo side by side, with the fixed UTC offset (+9h ahead of GMT, +8h ahead of BST), updated live every second.

London, United Kingdom

--:--:--

GMT UTC+0

Tokyo, Japan

--:--:--

JST UTC+9

Current Offset

+9 hours

Tokyo is 9 hours ahead of London

Meeting Overlap Finder

Business hours (09:00–18:00) highlighted — best overlap shaded

London	Tokyo	Status

Convert London Time to Tokyo Time

Based on the current offset — updates automatically

London	Tokyo

Summary

This tool displays the live current time in both London (Europe/London — GMT in winter, BST in summer) and Tokyo (Asia/Tokyo — JST, UTC+9 year-round, no DST) side by side. Tokyo never observes Daylight Saving Time, so the offset between the two cities shifts twice a year: 9 hours ahead of London in winter (GMT) and 8 hours ahead in summer (BST). Use this tool to schedule calls with Japan, coordinate remote teams, or check whether Tokyo colleagues are still at work.

How it works

Your browser reads the current moment from your device clock.
It converts that moment to Europe/London time using the IANA timezone database built into modern browsers.
The same moment is converted to Asia/Tokyo time (JST, UTC+9).
The UTC offsets of both cities are compared to calculate the exact hour difference.
All three values — London time, Tokyo time, and the offset — refresh every second.
When London switches between GMT and BST, the displayed offset adjusts automatically from +9 to +8 hours.

Use cases

Scheduling video calls between London and Tokyo offices.
Checking if a colleague in Tokyo is still at their desk.
Planning UK-Japan travel and arrival time comparisons.
Remote teams coordinating daily standups across the UK and Japan.
Finding overlapping business hours for London-Tokyo meetings.
Verifying whether London is currently on GMT or BST.
Journalists checking broadcast times for live Japan events.
Students and teachers arranging online lessons between the UK and Japan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-06-11 · Reviewed by Nham Vu